The Portuguese parliament has advanced proposals to revise the gender identity law, requiring medical validation for adult name and gender changes and banning hormonal therapies for minors, sparking intense debate between conservative proponents and critics.
Reversal of gender identity law approved. What might change?

Context & Explainers

Chega ("Enough") is a Portuguese far-right populist party founded in 2019 by André Ventura. It positions itself as an anti-establishment movement against what it calls a "rotten and corrupt system" of PS-PSD dominance. The party surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest force with 60 seats. Chega's core platform emphasizes strict immigration control—ending automatic CPLP residency, deporting non-independent immigrants, implementing job-market quotas, and requiring five-year social security contributions before benefit access. It advocates radical constitutional reform, including reducing parliament to 100 members, abolishing the prime minister position for a presidential system, and dismantling public healthcare. Law-and-order policies include life imprisonment and chemical castration proposals.
The party is defined by inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric, with Ventura convicted multiple times for discrimination. Chega maintains international alignments with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, and Matteo Salvini. Mainstream Portuguese parties, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government, have imposed a cordon sanitaire, refusing coalition with Chega despite its parliamentary strength.
The CDS–PP is the Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party (Centro Democrático e Social – Partido Popular), a small centre-right, Christian-democratic party founded in 1974. It often partners with the larger PSD in parliament; in February 2026 it voted with the PSD and IL to approve a housing package, so its parliamentary support can influence housing and other policy outcomes.
RSS source
Other news coverage of this topic
- Children or clients? Gender ideology and affirmation12:07am, 22 Mar 2026 • Observador
- Rui Tavares attacks the right over gender identity10:49pm, 21 Mar 2026 • Observador
- The Medical Association wants to be heard in Parliament regarding the reversal of gender identity laws8:51pm, 21 Mar 2026 • RTP Notícias
- Rui Tavares accuses the right of dropping the mask with gender identity bills4:41pm, 21 Mar 2026 • RTP Notícias
- Rui Tavares accuses the right of dropping the mask with bills on gender identity3:51pm, 21 Mar 2026 • Correio da Manhã
- Livre accuses the right of 'taking off the mask' with bills on gender identity3:50pm, 21 Mar 2026 • Público
- Approved law on gender identity is a step backwards, says FENPROF2:06pm, 21 Mar 2026 • RTP Notícias







